Skip to main content

Smarter bus travel comes to Greater Manchester

Millions of bus passengers in Greater Manchester will benefit from cheaper fares with the introduction of new smart multi-operator bus travel. The scheme is one of the largest in the UK outside London and is the result of collaboration between more than 30 bus operators through industry body Greater Manchester Travelcards (GMTL), the organisation behind the System One brand, in partnership with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM). Passengers can now purchase multi-operator travel, which is store
November 19, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
Millions of bus passengers in Greater Manchester will benefit from cheaper fares with the introduction of new smart multi-operator bus travel.

The scheme is one of the largest in the UK outside London and is the result of collaboration between more than 30 bus operators through industry body Greater Manchester Travelcards (GMTL), the organisation behind the System One brand, in partnership with 817 Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM).  

Passengers can now purchase multi-operator travel, which is stored on a smart card and can be used on buses across Greater Manchester. TfGM say fares will be cut by an average of 10 per cent for the new electronic products compared to the equivalent existing printed products.

The new product range, branded get me there, is an extension of the equivalent existing printed System One multi-operator products. Customers will be able to load the new products onto  widely available smart cards issued by bus operators, including StagecoachSmart or by TfGM, including igo passes for young people, other concessionary passes, and a get me there smart card.  Passengers then touch in at smart readers when they board the bus to validate their travel.  

The scheme has involved joint working between private and public sector organisations and represents a combined multi-million pound investment by Greater Manchester’s major bus operators and TfGM, in partnership with GMTL, to support the regional economy by making it cheaper and easier for people to travel by bus.  

The announcement follows a pledge made last year by the country’s major bus companies, which include 476 Arriva, 6635 First and 805 Stagecoach, to deliver multi-operator smart ticketing to millions of bus customers across England during 2015. It also delivers on a commitment by TfGM to introduce the next stages of its get me there smart ticketing scheme for Greater Manchester before the end of the year.

Transport Minister Andrew Jones said: “Smart ticketing will transform everyday journeys in this great city, making travelling across transport modes easier and saving people money. We’re committed to rolling out smart ticketing across the country through our Smart Cities Partnership, and it’s great that Greater Manchester is leading the way.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • New York’s MTA chooses Masabi’s mobile ticketing
    May 2, 2014
    Mobile ticketing and payments specialist Masabi has been selected by New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to provide mobile ticketing for both the Metro-North Railroad (MNR) and Long Island Rail Road (LIRR). Masabi’s mobile ticketing technology will allow passengers to quickly and securely buy and use electronic tickets for both railroads using a mobile ticketing application or website with payment being made via either debit or credit card. Tickets are sent to users’ phones in the form
  • CTS to integrate bus fareboxes with MARTA Breeze back office
    May 31, 2018
    Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) will upgrade the farebox system for Atlanta’s Xpress bus service. The company will integrate the system with the back office for the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Breeze card. CTS designed and delivered Breeze - an automated fare collection system – in 2006. The project stems from an agreement with the State Roadway & Tollway Authority (SRTA) – a government agency that finances transport initiatives in the US state of Georgia. SRTA expects the fare
  • New York's Metro-North Railroad to test smartphone tickets
    July 13, 2012
    The Metropolitan Transportation Authority Metro-North Railroad, working with transit mobile ticketing specialists Masabi US, will begin testing a smartphone app that will let people buy their train tickets anywhere, anytime and never have to hold a piece of paper. During the pilot, select users will be able to download the free app to their iPhone, Android or Blackberry phones. Through the app, these users can buy any type of ticket, one-way, round trip, 10-trip, monthly etc, with any origin and destination
  • ITS Australia 2025 Awards: the winners
    February 14, 2025
    CEO Susan Harris praises 'collaborative spirit' to deliver data-led solutions